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August 22, 2009
Production of 4-cylinder engines starts in 2 years
The Toyota truck and SUV engine plant in Huntsville will start producing four-cylinder engines for Camry sedans and the RAV4 compact SUVs in the summer of 2011, plant executives announced Friday. That will boost the plant's capacity to 577,000 engines a year.
The new production line will mean "at least 240 new jobs," said Jim Bolte, plant president. The plant now has about 850 employees.
"This is the only plant in the world that will build this combination of product," the four-cylinder, V-6 and V-8 engines, for Toyota. The four-cylinder engines are now imported from Japan, Bolte said.
Though no new construction will be necessary for this additional line, Toyota will invest $147 million in the expansion. That will increase the automaker's total investment here to $637 million.
The plant is expected to build 216,000 four-cylinder engines a year. The four-cylinder line, said Mark Brazeal, assistant general manager/administration at the Huntsville facility, gives the plant the "ability to shift with market demands."
"We project hiring (for the four-cylinder production) will begin in late 2010," said Stephanie Deemer, a spokeswoman at the plant.
The plant will have help from Alabama Industrial Development Training, the state-sponsored work-force training program for new and existing businesses.
Toyota was "looking at three different plants globally" for this four-cylinder production, said Glen Kelley, the plant's general manager of manufacturing.
Gov. Bob Riley said Toyota's decision is exciting news for the state. "All over the country you hear about cutbacks and layoffs, but you don't hear about many expansions," Riley said in a prepared statement. "Toyota's investment in Alabama is an example of what happens when we create an environment in which business can succeed and offer the best-trained, most flexible work force you'll find anywhere in the world."
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